The London latin festival is on again at the beginning of April (link in the title of this post). Highlights are Los Van Van on 1st April and Orishas on 8th April. Doubt if I'll manage to get to either, unfortunately.
Got a work trip to Glasgow coming up soon, though, so I'm hoping to catch Farah's excellent Cuban class again.
Monday, February 28, 2005
Monday, February 14, 2005
Salsa trio
Than's salsa trio at the Wharf last night was good fun. It looked as if it was going to be a bit of a disaster as there were only three women to start off with, but eventually enough joined in to make up the numbers. Neat and stylish moves that are actually very simple but need precision to do with two women.
It also helps if the women have similar styles. It doesn't really matter if they both have light following styles or both have heavy following styles; but one pair I had required very different strengths of lead. It worked OK but took a bit more thought: I had visions of mixing them up and failing to budge one while projecting the other halfway across the room!
There were some very promising improvers there, but unfortunately there weren't a lot of people later on. Let's hope it starts picking up soon: it's got good teaching, a good sound system and good music - and the free dancing is now literally free.
It also helps if the women have similar styles. It doesn't really matter if they both have light following styles or both have heavy following styles; but one pair I had required very different strengths of lead. It worked OK but took a bit more thought: I had visions of mixing them up and failing to budge one while projecting the other halfway across the room!
There were some very promising improvers there, but unfortunately there weren't a lot of people later on. Let's hope it starts picking up soon: it's got good teaching, a good sound system and good music - and the free dancing is now literally free.
Sunday, February 13, 2005
Embarrassing moments
Having just mentioned someone else's most embarrassing moment, here's mine: I'd just been taught how to stop dancing and 'brace' to let the woman do a shine, but I hadn't been warned what else the woman might do. So when I tried it out in Bath I was a bit shocked as the woman concerned dived feet-first between my legs, and then shouted out "Get me up!" from her position on the floor...
Monday, February 07, 2005
Salsa trio
Not sure whether I'll go to bachata in Bristol on Sunday as Than is doing a Salsa Trio (one man dancing with two women) lesson at the Wharf. Than is one of the very few people who I've seen doing this well.
Though I did once see Anna doing a pretty good job of leading two men. A better job, at least, than one formerly prominent Cardiff dancer who famously managed to drop Anna and Lee and then fall on top of them...
(Just in case their namesakes get confused I should point out that I'm referring here to Anna and Lee the scientists. Confusing how common some first names are on the salsa scene: I recently encountered a third talented dancer called Kate).
Though I did once see Anna doing a pretty good job of leading two men. A better job, at least, than one formerly prominent Cardiff dancer who famously managed to drop Anna and Lee and then fall on top of them...
(Just in case their namesakes get confused I should point out that I'm referring here to Anna and Lee the scientists. Confusing how common some first names are on the salsa scene: I recently encountered a third talented dancer called Kate).
Sunday, February 06, 2005
La rueda
Great to get some rueda going again in the Toad, even if most of us were incredibly rusty: hope the promised refresher course starts soon! As usual with Kate leading it was really dynamic.
Rueda always intrigues non-dancing onlookers, though not usually to the extent of the character on Thursday who somehow ended up observing the spectacle with rapt fascination from inside the circle...
Rueda always intrigues non-dancing onlookers, though not usually to the extent of the character on Thursday who somehow ended up observing the spectacle with rapt fascination from inside the circle...
Tuesday, February 01, 2005
In the Zone/Bachata
Surprised myself by entering the Zone last night: that state of grace where everything works better than usual and the moves just seem to flow without thinking. Haven't been there for a while: hope I manage to revisit it soon.
I've just spotted that Heber, who ran an excellent bachata workshop at Pontins, is now doing monthly workshops in different latin dance styles on a Sunday afternoon in Bristol. The first is on February 13th at the Southville Centre. More details on the 'Special Events' page on salsajive. (The web link from there just goes to the Club Cubana website which doesn't actually have any information that I could find about the workshop). The first one is Bachata and Lamba-Zouk. Subsequent months carry on the Lamba-Zouk while offering tasters in other Brazilian dances. Worth a try, I think.
I've just spotted that Heber, who ran an excellent bachata workshop at Pontins, is now doing monthly workshops in different latin dance styles on a Sunday afternoon in Bristol. The first is on February 13th at the Southville Centre. More details on the 'Special Events' page on salsajive. (The web link from there just goes to the Club Cubana website which doesn't actually have any information that I could find about the workshop). The first one is Bachata and Lamba-Zouk. Subsequent months carry on the Lamba-Zouk while offering tasters in other Brazilian dances. Worth a try, I think.
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